Series / Island Blessing, Island Taste Part 35, Dragon Fruit

Colorful fruits are everywhere in summer in Okinawa such as pineapples, passion fruits, watermelons, and mangoes. "Dragon fruits are popular pink fruits that is good for jelly, juice, and syrup.

Flowers of dragon fruits bloom at night time which means moths and bats help their pollination. When they bloom, the flowers attract the pollinizers by the sweet smell. It might be a change to see the attractive flowers if you smell at night time, or try to wake up earlier. Juicy fruits of dragon fruits that bloom beautiful flowers every year. I found "bud of dragon fruits which I have never heard and seen.

"Bud of dragon fruits"? How do I eat it?

"Can you try a taste of bud?" the owner of Ukishima Garden says who met at a party a few years ago. I tried tentatively, it was a bit chewy and something like bamboo sprout.

Wow, this is great! "Tempura and boil it and fry with olive oil, salt, and garlic are good, too", the owner says. You can enjoy it June through Sep. Here are "tempura of dragon fruits" at my home.

Cut in half(quarter if too big), sprinkle salt, and coat it in batter of wheat and mochi flour. Then fry 170 degree.

Fry until golden and air comes out from the buds get smaller.

Drain excess oil.

"O-to", looks like shi-kwasa from Yanbaru, and salt from Hamahiga are added to it. Crunchy, soft, and little chewy taste blends with sour o-to. The coat contains wheat flour and mochi flour for good taste even cold.